Ceasefire monitors call for swift cessation of hostilities in South Sudan

South Sudan's ceasefire monitors on Thursday called for a swift cessation of ongoing hostilities between the South Sudan People's Defence Force (SSPDF) and the opposition Sudan People's Liberation Army-in-Opposition.

Teshome Anagawe Ayana, chairperson of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), said insecurity has expanded across Upper Nile, Unity, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Jonglei states, with serious implications for the implementation of Chapter II of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

"The peace process is under significant strain. The R-ARCSS remains the only viable framework for sustainable peace in South Sudan. Agreements are upheld not by signatures, but through consistent compliance," Ayana said during a ceasefire monitors' meeting in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

He noted that between August 2025 and January 2026 alone, the CTSAMVM recorded 407 alleged violations, adding that direct hostilities between signatory parties had been relatively limited prior to the clashes between the SSPDF and the White Army in Nasir, Upper Nile State, in March 2025.

Ayana said that allegations of violations have become frequent and widespread since the clashes in Nasir.

He said that reported aerial bombardments of alleged civilian areas in parts of Jonglei and Upper Nile are of particular concern and may constitute serious violations of both the permanent ceasefire and international humanitarian law.

"Incidents affecting civilians and humanitarian actors have also been documented, including ambushes, abductions, looting, attacks on markets, and alleged extrajudicial killings. Disruptions along key river transport trade corridors have intensified economic hardship and food insecurity," he said.

He noted that movement restrictions arising from insecurity and illegal checkpoints continue to impede humanitarian access and civilian livelihoods, undermining the stabilisation objectives of the peace agreement.

"The durability of the agreement ultimately depends on accelerated implementation of the security arrangements, including disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration, unified force deployment, strengthened accountability mechanisms, and sustained political will," Ayana added.

Source: https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/regional/297638/ceasefire-monitors-call-for-swift-cessation-of-hostilities-in-south-sudan